Posted on 4/26/2017.

TREE STUMP-LIKE OBJECT SEEN ON MSL SOL 1647. We are not yet ready to declare that the object on Figure 1 is really a tree stump, although it certainly looks like one. Care is needed because sometimes in a geological process molten material may rise to the surface, be denser than the surrounding surface material, cool and remain while surrounding material erodes away. When this occurs what remains may resemble a tree stump, but not be one. However there are two items in conjunction with the MSL Sol 1647 anomaly that are worthy of discussion. First, in looking at the track of the Curiosity rover it can be seen that the rover went about 10 meters further east the next sol, but then turned around and went back to the area in question. We may assume that it reexamined the object from another angle, but we don't see the images of it then. We need to see them, and know if there was any attempt made to examine the geological property of the object. Second, at about this time ground temperature reports from the REMS Team went berserk. MSL was in its summer season for MSL Year 3 at Sol 1647. During MSL Years 1 and 2 the coldest ground temperature seen was -87° C. But look at an extract from our record of REMS Team daily weather reports for MSL Sols 1643 to 1650. The night time air temperatures (Column F) are consistent with each other with variation from -73° C to -75°, but the ground temperatures (1.5 meters lower) vary radically (see Column J) with variation from -78° C to -110°.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

SOL

~LS

PRESSURE

Pa

EARTH

DATE

MAX

AIR

TEMP

°C

MIN

AIR

TEMP

°C

AIR

TEMP

RANGE

°C

AIR

TEMP

RANGE

°C/40

MAX

GROUND

TEMP °C

MIN

GROUND

TEMP °C

∆ GROUND

TEMP

DAY

TO

NIGHT

DAYTIME

CHANGE

IN TEMP

°C AIR

TO GROUND

NIGHTTIME

CHANGE

IN TEMP

°C AIR TO

GROUND

PRESSURE

AT SAME

LS IN MSL

YEAR 2

∆ PRESSURE

YEAR 3 TO

YEAR 2 SAME

LS

~LS

year 2

PRESSURE

YEAR 1

BEFORE

REVISION

UV

YR

3

UV

YR

2

MSL YEAR 2 SOL FOR THIS LS/

COMMENTS

YELLOW IF

<60 °C

GREEN IF

<1.5

RED IF

> 0 °C

PURPLE =

>-90°C

OR COLDER

Yellow numbers

= -80 to -89 °C,

red background =

-90°C or colder

drop

BLUE =

>10°C

PURPLE

= >10°C

YELLOW = > 7 Pa)

1643

336

832

3/21/2017

-11

-74

63

1.575

14

-81

-95

25

-7

843

-11

336

N/A

H

H. Year 1 was H.

(975)

1644

336

832

3/22/2017

-10

-74

64

1.6

13

-102

-115

23

-28

842

-10

337

N/A

H

M. Year 1 was H.

(976) Once more the low ground question is hard to accept. There is no corresponding great drop in air temp. Watch for a revision. Greatest variation in ground temp. ever!

1645

337

832

3/23/2017

-3

-74

71

1.775

14

-83

-97

17

-9

841

-9

337

N/A

H

M Year 1 was H.

(977)

1646

338

831

3/24/2017

-8

-74

66

1.65

11

-93

-104

19

-19

842

-11

338

N/A

H

M Year 1 was H.

(978) This night time low in ground temperature is not backed by a corresponding low in air temperature.

1647

338

831

3/25/2017

-3

-73

70

1.75

6

-78

-84

9

-5

841

-10

338

N/A

H

M Year 1 was H.

(979)

1648

339

830

3/26/2017

-14

-73

59

1.475

7

-79

-86

21

-6

840

-10

339

N/A

H

M Year 1 was H.

(980)

1649

339

831

3/27/2017

-14

-74

60

1.5

11

-93

-104

25

-19

841

-10

339

N/A

H

M Year 1 was H.

(981)

1650

340

833

3/28/2017

-8

-75

67

1.675

12

-110

-122

20

-35

840

-7

340

N/A

H

M Year 1 was H.

(982) The record 35 degree night time decrease in temp air to ground is extraordinary. This is equal to a 63 degree Fahrenheit drop in 1.5 meters. It must be an error.